OLTL: Has anyone else given up watching this show?

[BayCityResident]

Didn't Rex/Adriana's wedding garner a 2.4 for that ep? Didn't the BE takeover/Nash's death get a 2.3? which granted, are not lighting the show on fire but i would rather have a writer that has proven he can get viewers to tune in to this show than someone that has not yet done so. So what if someone named Bell or Reilly can garner ratings at another show, have they written for OL? It's a totally different show.

I totally agree that the 1968 story went on way to long and the Mendorra story was kind of a lame way to bring Tina back. Those are things to be blamed on Ron. However, Ron was building other great story before the strike, such as the storyline involving Rex's paternity, bringing up talk about Blair's dad, and the whole 'Alison has a secret' story had me intrigued, but then the strike happened and other stories had to be resolved that had started while he was gone. Is that his fault?

Right after Tina returned and the Anniversary eps, Erika Slezak went on vacation. I believe so did Robin Strasser, tho for less time. How can this be Ron's fault? People have complained about there being no Viki/Tina involvement. How can there when Erika isn't around? The airport scene before Viki left was great, short yes, but great. That's all the time there was to work with. I expect Tina will be more involved once Viki gets home, same with Charlie.

After a boring couple of months, I am finally getting excited again and can not wait for November sweeps.

The Robin Strasser/A Martinez scenes have been great and I am anxious to see how the possible re-takeover of BE/CE plays out.

I can't wait for the Marty reveal and her to get her memory back..as some have said...she better lay right into Todd.

I'm anxious for Viki to return and give Charlie another chance.

Tho I'm not a big fan of the pregnancy story, I have a feeling Ron will pull characters into this story like no other. The birth of the little Manning will probably be a huge sweeps event that will tie in Starr, Cole, Blair, Todd, Marty, Marcie, Michael, and i'm sure more.

I'm willing to give Ron some more time to put several months together in a row...without interruptions (strike, Erika's vacation) to see how it goes.

[Cheap21]

The Todd/Marty stuff is the most offensive story on the air

[Wales2004]

I don't know about on the air but it's definitely too much for a soap. This type of story might work for a movie because even with the disturbing aspects of the story, there would be a definite end in sight.

One of the problems with telling this type of story on a soap is that the same scenes get played out over and over again which just builds on the gross factor. When a story is short and to the point, it isn't as bothersome if there is no payoff or it's less than expected. But when people invest months in something like this and there is no payoff or it's a disappointment, it could lead to viewer resentment. The caliber of the writer is not up to the level needed for something like this to be told right...it's way too ambitious.

[Toups]

....and the most riveting. Tell me a storyline in daytime right now that has more intrigue, rooted in history, edgy, controversial, has build up and has the anticipation of a huge climax (when Marty gets her memory back). I currently watch 7 out of the 8 (GL is the 1 soap I'm not watching) soaps and this is the best storyline in daytime right now. JMO of course.

Umm....are you watching the show right now (I'm gonna guess no)? The outcome of the BE takeover and Nash's death are playing out right now.

[Vee]

Oh, what utter crap. You must be fuckin' joking, my dear. Did you bother to watch Hogan Sheffer's last run on a soap opera before Y&R? That show embodied the phrase "corporate interference." I really like Sheffer, I do, but thanks to Corday and NBC he didn't get a single decent, well-thought-out story done for a single favorite, which is more than I can say for Carlivati, who brought Viki out of cold storage. And Sheffer didn't do a thing about it.

I'm sorry to puncture your fantasies of Hogan Sheffer, Macho Top but I'm afraid his recent work does not back that up, especially not compared to RC, who out of the gate, no bullshit, no excuses, gave us story for the veterans and solid writing. Which sadly, Sheffer did not.

Please give me the directions to the hypermasculine Hemingway-esque dimension you have come from.

[kandbar]

ITA! Great points! Nuf said!

[Toups]

Huh? I don't know how to reply to this post. What do their looks have to do anything with how they write?

[kandbar]

If he wrote what you wanted someone else would take up the gauntlet and say that he's a hack. No matter who writes for OLTL or any soap, not everyone is going to agree. Those who don't like the show should get off their collective high fences and just stop watching... if OLTL loses viewership and cancels then you're right... if not it was only your opinion.

[rhinohide]

LOL! Again we agree. This could become a habit.

I am on a break right now until Natalie is no longer held prisoner. I just can't watch this Tess Mess anymore. And it's not like anything else on the show is really entertaining me.

[MarkH]

This post IS OLTL relevant...so bear with me.

I want to put a little accuracy into this thread. Several people have accused RC of "low" ratings or "falling" ratings, or what have you.

Using Toups' archives, I plotted the 2008 weekly ratings for all the soaps. See here:

1. The overall picture is pretty flat. In light of the dramatic falls over the last many years, stability is a good thing.

2. To find a show in trouble, look for declines that are FASTER (steeper) than average. As a corollary, to look for a show that is (at least short term) healing, look for a rate of increase that is FASTER than average.

- Y&R from 4/28 until 7/7 was in extra-rapid descent. Interestingly, it began to bump up about a month before the Sudden Impact peak, which raises a question about how much all that promotion and the story actually accomplished. Was it bouncing back on its own? More relevant...it has pretty much HELD since Sudden Impact...but it still is lower than it started the year with. Thus, real ratings damage was done to this show in the first half of the year.

- B&B also declined pretty linearly from April till June, and then held. Again, to me this implies that new (lower) plateau may have been reached.

- Days (hard to see, but it is that light blue line) is the CRAZY soap. You clearly see that Olympic bump...but you also see that the show is "up and down like a toilet seat". In biological systems, extreme variability is a sign of vulnerability (homeostatic failure). By that metric, Days is very vulnerable.

- Look at the amazing and ENDURING GL bleed-out. It is now about 0.5 lower than it started the year with. Moreover, this cannot be blamed on the "CBS Lineup"...because both Y&R and B&B have held pretty stable or even increased a little since July. During the same period, GL fell fastest.

- Now, OLTL is very hard to make out, because it has such overlap with AMC most weeks. But that, in itself, is VERY informative. OLTL AND AMC, remarkably, need to be credited for being among the most stable soaps on air. They have hovered around 2.0, with little shifts in rank order, throughout the entire year.

Thus, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE that Carlivati has done ANY ratings damage to the show. True...he has also not boosted the show's ratings (but, honestly, who expects that?). When you look at the big declines experienced (during portions of the year) by Y&R, B&B, DOOL and especially GL....the ABC lineup is to be credited with holding on quite tenaciously.

Any critique of Carlivati with regard to viewership is simply specious.

As one final note, the other sad decline is ATWT. That yellow line has experienced almost as much decline (about 0.3) as GL. What a way to squander that Nuke momentum...

The fact that ABC is holding on so nicely actually suggests to me that Frons is a force for good, relatively speaking, not evil. I wonder if his heavy new emphasis on promotion will goose the ratings at all?

[Cheap21]

Marty gets her memory back and realizes she's been mind raped, manipulated and victimized by this evil rapist. Thats not entertainment for me. Its absolutely disgusting and revolting. Marty has been a tragic character since she started and has been so traumatized and victimized over the years and most of that hurt came from Todd. Im not enjoying watching her go through any of this yet again at the hands of this monster. I've always hated Marty as played by SH and I dont think she deserves this. I dont even want to think about what will happen when she finds out the truth. I don't think I've ever been this completely turned off by a storyline and I've seen some really bad ones over the years. I do find it offensive and wonder if theres anyone behind the scenes asking Ron WTF are you doing?

[Tishy]

As much as it turns my stomach and makes me want to vomit, Todd and Marty have me spellbound. Like Drew said, she is not the Marty Saybrooke that she was 20 years ago. She has no memories at all except for the ones Todd is feeding her. She has had contact with three people, Janet, Tess and Todd. Given those choices and the fact that your memory is a clean slate you are kinda forced to trust these people as they ahve done nothing to hurt her. I fast forward through any intimate scenes because I can't stomach it. But SH and TSJ have reeled me in. Their chemistry is kind of weirdly awkward but hopeful. Seeing that I watched the rape scenes live, I would have a very big problem if Roger Howarth was doing this story because in a way, I justify this in my mind that it wasn't really this Todd that raped Marty. Seriously, when Todd raped Marty did anyone think that 20 years later she would be in his bed with amnesia and their kids procreated? It's an amazing storyline and I give RC a lot of credit for telling this story when not too many people would have the courage to do so.

I like the Rex and Gigi romance and think it is at the right place. Solely because it is balancing out the rest of the canvas. Natalie/Tess/Jared revenge story, Todd and Marty ick story, Starr and Cole baby woes, these stories aren't the most uplifting. Seeing Rex and Gigi and John and Blair for me at least balances it out and makes it sexy and funny. I believe that you have to have light stories along with the bad.

Just a little speculation on my part...

[dragonflies]

Cheap this post just says it all!

Sorry but I don't find anything enjoyable about a rape victim once again being raped in various other ways by her former gang rapist.

I'm starting to think that when(if she ever does) get her memory back, she'll thank Todd for saving her from Ramsey and all will be forgiven

[Cheap21]

excuse me while I throw up. Todd has been going down a dark path this past year and I thought him beating up on teenagers was hitting rock bottom but he has sunk to a new low. There's no redemption for him in my eyes right now. I want John and Cole to kill him or at least attempt to. He needs to pay and unfortunetly I know he wont which will make this even worse

And then theres the bit about what he's doing to Natalie and Jessica by refusing to get her help to save his own skin. I really hope Viki and everyone find out about that as well

[Billoltl]

I ain't gonna cry a river, I'm gonna LMAO, I so needed that laugh, thanks. The show has hit it's stride in what? Camp? Hackiness?

Laughter is the best medicine...turn your tv off - OLTL will never satisfy everyone in every way - if it did, it would be illegal.